PalenQ

shown last night on Canadian TV's Nature show with David Suzuki and like its title says there is a lot more to see and imagine at Stonehenge than the relatively little bit remaining of a once vast site - many folks are nonplussed with today's Stonehenge - lots of crowds, stones off-limits unless you're Barack Obama or such...

but with a lot of background you can really appreciate this amazing place and this show tells you a lot about that:

http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/epi...enge-uncovered

snowgirls

Thanks for this post- will see if I can find it "on demand".

chris45ny

We did a private small group sunrise tour of Stonehenge back in 2008 where we were allowed past the ropes. You could touch the stones, even sit on them. The site wasn't officially open at the time but there was a guard to make sure no one in our group was tempted to try to chisel a piece of any of the stones as a souvenir. I couldn't imagine seeing Stonehenge any other way for me. Are you saying those sorts of tours no longer exist where you can get up close and personal with the site?? If so, that's a shame. It really was a moving experience for me to be there so close to the stones in the lightly falling misty rain. Even though 6 years have passed the memories of that experience remain as strong as they were back then. I'm so glad I went.

janisj

>>Are you saying those sorts of tours no longer exist where you can get up close and personal with the site?? <<

chris45ny: No, English Heritage still offers the Inner Access tours like you took.

PalenQ

Ordinarily during the regular opening times visitors are roped well away from the stones - only as janis explains on special tours can you access the stones - are you allowed to sit on the stones?

PatrickLondon

I think you get a much better sense of the power and significance of the place when you see it in the context of the whole surrounding landscape of burial mounds and ceremonial ways. They've put in so much effort on understanding and explaining it that way, over recent years.

PalenQ

Yes just show up and glanced at the stones and leaving is missing the iceberg and seeing only the tip here. Read some of the recent discoveries to get a great overall views of this awesome place when taken as an amazing whole.

janisj

PQ: >>Yes just show up and glanced at the stones and leaving is . . .<<

Not to worry, one can no longer just show up and glance at the stones. The visitors center and parking is far away and not w/i sight of the stones.

PalenQ

Not to worry, one can no longer just show up and glance at the stones. The visitors center and parking is far away and not w/i sight of the stones.>

So the ephemeral visitor who wants to just say they saw Stonehenge now has a more of a struggle - having to walk a long distance just to glimpse the relatively few remaining stones and dodging throngs of others. An even a more un-plussing experience for most - hopefully they will linger in the Visitor's Center to get an overall scope of all and then ponder this mysterious and amazing site all the more.

Dukey1

Or they can go to Avebury and see all KINDS of stones

PatrickLondon

Dodging throngs always was a risk. But since they run people up to the stones in vehicles, that must stagger the group sizes a bit.

janisj

PQ: Read up about the new set up . . . Your description isn't how it works.

Dukey: I agree -- anyone w/ a car can easily do both Avebury and Stonehenge (and should IMHO) plus various other neolithic sites in the area.

IME (probably 20+ visits) except on Bank Holiday weekends and on the Solstice, there never were 'throngs' at Stonehenge to speak of. It is a very large site and absorbs lots of people.

Percy

Been there on a private tour and sat on a stone and touched many others.

Thank for the post PalenQ

Percy

Obama was there a month ago.
He kept saying " How Cool is this."

PalenQ

PQ: Read up about the new set up . . . Your description isn't how it works.>

Well I do not need to know the details - the devil may be in the details - but I can say that many folks no doubt do this as quick as they can - just to have their selfie or whatever snapped in front of the stones and are quickly bored and bolt out - rather than studying this amazing place, taken in a whole - a largely invisible or barely discernible whole = that was my point and the whole point of this post.

dotheboyshall

<i> I agree -- anyone w/ a car can easily do both Avebury and Stonehenge (and should IMHO) plus various other neolithic sites in the area.</i>

I also agree - just watch out for tanks on Salisbury Plain

chris45ny

PalenQ-

The guide we had for our tour was amazing. On the tour bus while riding to the site from London he gave us so much info on the history, different theories, etc. Very informative. My notebook is full of notes. Then when we got there he showed us and talked to us about the heel stone, the blue stones, sarsen, aubry holes, the trilithons and so much more so we could have a bit of an understanding about what we were seeing. Then we had a good 30-45 minutes for our own exploration-some people sitting on the stones (not us!) touching the stones (I gave one a hug) and just walking around taking in the atmosphere of the immediate site of the stones and walking further out to view the surrounding landscape.

In my opinion this tour was made so memorable due to our guide. I guess we lucked out. No quick selfies or drive by type of sightseeing for us here at Stonehenge when we went. Our guide made sure we knew how amazing this place was and to make the most of our time there.

Visitors who come to the site for just a "look" and to just take some pictures are really shortchanging themselves IMO.

janisj

>>Well I do not need to know the details - the devil may be in the details - but I can say that many folks no doubt do this as quick as they can - just to have their selfie or whatever snapped in front of the stones and are quickly bored and bolt out -<<

PQ - what I was <i>trying</i> to explain . . . That ain't possible . . . since they have long walks over the hills both ways - or rides via the trams. Like I said, now one can't just drive up, take photos and drive off . . .

There are no more 'quick visits' . . . unless they just park at the visitors center, go in the gift shop, and leave . . . but they can't actually see the stones from there. The stones are not within sight from the car park or visitors center. Even the shortest visit now will be 90 minutes to 2 hours.

PalenQ

janis - thanks for the details you devil! Maybe English Heritage should charge a lot of moolah to have drive-bys of the stones! Or move the stones out to where they can drive by literally. Anyways sincerely thanks for the details - I have not been to the Stones for a long time and probably a revisit is low on my list so thanks for the update.

Or maybe they can just look at the images here and say they saw the stones and save the trip out from London:

https://www.google.com/search?q=ston...=1600&bih=1075

(sad anecedote - my then young reckless adult son and his reprobate girlfriend went to Rome and I asked him if he saw the Vatican he said no but they saw postcards of it in the train station, where they spent most of their time transiting Rome - seeing only the Colosseum - and lots of things on postcards!)

historytraveler

Was at Stonehenge in August and janisj is right, no view of stones from visitor centre; you must take a shuttle. It is about a mile from centre to stones. Having visited Stonehenge several times over the last twenty years, the best way to see it now, assuming one is seriously interested in its history, is to do so with one of the private tours that have been mentioned.